Pipe bomb case waived to court

Ryan Pfrogner leaves district court in Charleroi Thursday after waiving charges he made pipe bombs in his Speers home.
Order a Print

Advertisement

CHARLEROI – Prosecutors Thursday withdrew a felony count of risking a catastrophe against a Charleroi Area High School senior accused of making pipe bombs in his Speers home.

The decision was reached when Ryan Pfrogner, 18, appeared in district court for a preliminary hearing and, instead, waived his case to trial in Washington County Court, a court official said.

“He’s a great kid,” Charleroi Area Superintendent Brad Ferko said as he left the office of District Judge Larry Hopkins. “He made a stupid mistake,”

Pfrogner is free on $50,000 bond following his arrest Jan. 3 on charges filed by Charleroi Regional police after investigators found two small PVC pipe bombs and bomb-making materials Nov. 20 in his bedroom at 136 River St. Police searched his residence following allegations that he brought a pipe bomb to school that month and left it in the trunk of his car parked in the student lot.

The Washington County district attorney’s office withdrew charges police filed involving taking a weapon onto school property because there was no evidence to support that allegation.